It takes a lot to stand out in the increasingly crowded fitness category and, unfortunately for the LG Lifeband, it stands out for all the wrong reasons.

Unlike many of its competitors, the LG Lifeband isn't flexible or adjustable. Instead, it's a fairly rigid loop that CNET says is "heavier and thicker than it needs to be," and Digital Trends calls it a "a shiny chunk of techno jewelry that wouldn’t be out of place on the set of a sci-fi movie." Unfortunately, that sci-fi feel doesn't extend to the display, which the New York Times calls "dull" and "nearly unreadable outdoors." Digital Trends actually found themselves "constantly forced to search for a shady spot when we wanted to check current stats." CNET also notes the battery "isn't so hot," lasting them only two days when paired to a device.

The one ray of hope for LG is the Fitness app, which Tom's Guide calls "intuitive" and Digital Trends liked how "straightforward" it was. It just needs to be connected to a better piece of hardware than the Lifeband.